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Vengeance in The Scarlet Letter
Vengeance is the act of recovering justice by forcing the opposing individual to endure same punishment or exceed a far more harsh consequence than the victim. People often try to obtain revenge upon others for the wrong reasons due to fact that they believe the actions or sins of another person have affected the victim in a negative way. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses the relentless character, Mr. Roger Chillingworth, to describe the result of being resentful and unforgiving to his wifes secret lover, Reverend Dimmesdale. The Scarlet Letter also vividly describes how Chillingworth became self absorbed with vengeance and how vengeance changes his physical appearance. Throughout the novel, The Scarlet Letter gives evidence of a clear picture of a life consumed by vengeance resulting in obsession over committing evil acts which leads to Chillingworth self destruction because of also being completely taken over by thoughts and desires of vengeance. On the contrary, The Scarlet Letter also describes the result when one is overcome by guilt and then forgiven. Using the character Hester Prynne, Hawthorne displays how she earns the townspeople forgiveness and her place back into their society. Rather than demanding forgiveness, Hester serves her punishment with no complaint but with pride. Eventually, the townspeople allow Hester to rejoin their society and give her an opportunity to gain respect back from the townspeople. When putting forgiveness in place of vengeance, peace and compromise are the result.
Chillingworth is the character who represents the definition of evil most profoundly in the novel, however he was not the only one. In fact, the whole town lacks for...
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...lace, where thou couldst have escaped me,--save on this very scaffold!" (215).
Chillingworth is openly confessing his motives and actions of vengeance against Dimmesdale and is so wrapped up in his sin that there is no hope of Chillingworth forgiving Dimmesdale.
Vengeance is a dangerous temptation to fall under. People often are very easily lured into taking vengeance upon another individual. The cause of this is that some people often think to take justice into there own hands when it is not there duty. This is how people can become trapped and obsessed with taking vengeance upon someone else and how it can change a persons motives to evil ones, motives that are far from justice. To counter the poison of vengeance, people must act in forgiveness rather than hate and anger towards another. When showing forgiveness for others, you will also be shown forgiveness.
Throughout the entire novel, every character except for Roger Chillingworth learned to forgive and cleared his or her heart of guilt. When the reverend showed his concern for the doctor just before his death he said, “may God forgive thee. Thou hast deeply sinned” (251). For example, Dimmesdale used some of his last words to forgive the doctor of his wrongdoing. Even though Chillingworth tortured and haunted him until the very end of his life, the reverend had strong enough character to want God to show mercy on the evildoer’s soul. Moreover, Dimmesdale was able to forgive Hester when he told her, “I do forgive you Hester” (191). Because of his high position of authority, Dimmesdale set high standards for his life, and that reflected in the way he handled personal relationships. Also, if Chillingworth had been more understanding towards Hester’s problem, he had a better chance at winning her love back. Finally, both Hester and her lover admitted their sin on the scaffold and sought forgiveness for their transgressions while Chillingworth never could admit he sinned.
The Scarlet Letter is full of many psychological and moral aspects, and most of them relate very well to things that are going on right now in the world. They all go hand in hand meaning that the aspects that were explained in The Scarlet Letter, can also be explained in the same way as they can be explained now. Although times were very different in the times where The Scarlet Letter took place, they are all relevant for what people have to say about certain things in today's world. The moral aspects of the Scarlet Letter are almost the same as moral aspects of today.
Abraham Lincoln, one of the most revered presidents of our country, once expressed “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.” Throughout history, many men have tried to teach their people by punishment. From the times of ancient Egypt, to the Dark Ages of Europe, even up to the times of colonial America, persecution, humiliation, and torture have been used to enforce the principles of righteousness. But God has seemingly different ideas. From the very beginning, God has been teaching his children on Earth by showing them mercy instead of giving them misery. This theme is exemplified in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter as Hester and Dimmesdale suffer
As a respected physician, Chillingworth was “a man of skill in all Christian modes of physical science, and li... ... middle of paper ... ... powerful grip over him, dies peacefully, and Chillingworth dies soon after. To plot revenge in any situation is harmful. Chillingworth’s plot of revenge brings the downfall of Dimmesdale, as well as his own.
One of the various ways Chillingworth serves as the devil’s advocate is by being the antithesis of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the palpable Jesus figure of the narrative. Chillingworth keenly sets out to devastate Dimmesdale, as Hawthorne informs us when referring to Chillingworth's unearthing of Dimmesdale's secret, “All that guilty sorrow, hidden from the world, whose great heart would have pitied and forgiven, to be revealed to him, the Pitiless, to him, the Unforgiving!” The capitalization of the words "Pitiless" and "Unforgiving" confirm that Chillingworth is Satan in human form. Symbolically, on an additional, more perceptible note, Chillingworth steals one of Dimmesdale's gloves and drops it on the scaffold in the middle of the town. The sexton returns it to Dimmesdale saying, "Satan...
Roger Chillingworth himself represents revenge. Some even believe him to be representative of evil or Satan. What is ignored in the cases of interpreting him as Satan or as evil is the fact that he has been cruelly wronged by both Hester and Dimmesdale. Because Hester and Dimmesdale are portrayed as protagonists in the novel, Chillingworth is automatically classified, because of his opposition towards the two, as antagonist. He is not actually this at all when regarded without the negative connotations under which he is crushed within the book.
Anything can be destructive and evil if one gives it enough power. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter there are many arguments stemming from government and its ability to be corrupted easily. Although Bensick asserts that Hawthorne shows the corruptness of the government and those a part of it with the use of characterization, irony, and symbols. While Korobkin states that he used them to show that the magistrates were just and made the decisions that were better for not only Hester but also the community. One can discern that the characterization, irony, and symbols were to show that the magistrates were the reason the United States judicial system operates the way it does.
Chillingworth and Dimmesdale stood in the crowd watching her. Chillingworth is incensed over her sinfulness and vows to find out the identity of her partner so that he can have his revenge. is tormented by Chillingworth. As a result, Dimmesdale suffers from failing health as well as from guilt. He tries to confess and cannot find the courage to do it.
Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death. Guilt and shame is misunderstood to be identical perhaps they’re very different. (Chun) Guilt is the fact of having committed a specified or implied offense or crime. Guilt will give you physical or psychological pain, physical pain is an example in the scarlet letter how he began to turn pale. Guilt is an emotional state that effects the body and the mind. Shame comes from making a mistake or a bad decision while guilt is doing something that you know is wrong, and you get away with it than that guilt begins to start to kick in. One of Dimmesdale reasons was that he was a pastor and he wanted his congregation to believe that he was this sinful man sent from God. For all have sinned and fall
At some point in someone’s life, they have felt shame, whether it be after cheating on someone, going against social standards, or breaking the law. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main characters, Hester Prynne and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, feel shame for the reasons mentioned above after they commit adultery. Set in mid-seventeenth century Boston, in a devout Puritan area, Hester’s conviction is public, causing her to be estranged from society, while none of the residents know that Dimmesdale is the other person involved in the crime, leading him on a downward spiral of guilt and self-inflicted punishment. This story describes the physical, emotional, and social shame that is placed upon Hester, Dimmesdale, and their daughter
Roger Chillingworth, the revenge-seeking antagonist in The Scarlet Letter, is a dynamic character that plays a vital role in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story. Hester Prynne’s ex-husband was described as calm, quiet, and gentle before the idea of getting even with Reverend Dimmesdale crossed his mind. Chillingworth became engrossed in the process of revenge, and his change in character soon became evident to Hester, Dimmesdale, and even the townspeople. Chillingworth develops from a polite and kind scholar into a vengeful fiend, and although once viewed as
The Scarlet Letter illustrates that the illumination of self-deception gapes open after one like the very jaws of hell. This is apparent through all the main characters of the novel. Although Hawthorne's work has several imperfect people as the main characters, including Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth, the worst sinner is Roger Chillingworth. Chillingworth commits the greater sin because of his failure to forgive; he has an insatiable appetite for revenge; he receives extreme pleasure in torturing Dimmesdale. Hester Prynne, however, has committed sins of almost the same magnitude.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the reader is able to observe how one sin devastates three lives. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth are all guilty of succumbing to temptation, anger, and desire, causing all to fit the definition of a sinner. Yet, Chillingworth's iniquities raise him up above Hester and Dimmesdale on the level of diabolic acts.
...Now go thy ways, and deal as thou wilt with yonder man” (Hawthorne, 192). Chillingworth’s plan for revenge is based on Dimmesdale not confessing to his crime.
He wants to damage Dimmesdale more than anyone has ever wanted to hurt their enemy. This need for revenge destroys Chillingworth in the end. His body changes from the anger and he becomes deformed. His heart changes and he becomes miserable and only thinks of how he can ruin Dimmesdale. Chillingworth’s happiness depends on Dimmesdale and Hester’s suffering.